The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce systems, and specifically to providing real-time marketing of notifications of purchaser requirements to vendors in a heterogeneous network environment. The heterogeneous network environment can include a public packet switched network, such as the Internet, and a wireless network, such as a plurality of pagers.
We live in the information age. How prophetic the statement of a major computer manufacturer that said xe2x80x9cIt was supposed to be the atomic age, instead it has turned out to be the information age.xe2x80x9d Yet, few could foresee the rapid development of the Internet and its potential for creating virtual marketplaces for goods and services. Virtual marketplaces can make a large number of product advertisements available in a convenient manner, enabling users to preview products at little or no cost.
Presently, online network based sales systems require that purchasers conclude purchase and sale transactions online, without interaction with a merchant. These traditional approaches tend to focus on securing the payment mechanism so that the transaction can be concluded completely online. While there are perceived advantages, an inherent disadvantage to these systems is that the human element is lost. The user must enter information into a web page or other medium, press the mouse button or enter key and hope for the best. While suitable for small purchases, users understandably experience anxiety in trusting a major purchase to a completely automated system. The desirability of the human element in a purchase and sale transaction established, the question of efficiently distributing purchaser""s bids for products among a plurality of individual merchants arises.
What is needed is a method of automatically setting a price payable by a merchant for a notification of purchaser requirements.
According to the invention, a method for providing real-time pricing of notifications of purchaser requirements to vendors in a heterogeneous network environment. The heterogeneous network environment can include a public packet switched network, such as the Internet, and a wireless network, such as a plurality of pagers. The purchaser requirements are embodied in a vendor notification. The method is operable in environments having a plurality of wireless terminals in communication with a vendor computer using a wireless network to receive real-time notification of a purchaser""s requirements. At least one vendor computer is included. The vendor computer has one or more databases for storing information about products and services in a product database, and a customer database, for storing information about customers.
The method includes a step of transmitting a summary of the vendor notification and an initial value of a notification purchase price to a plurality of vendors selected vendors. A step of starting a timer to track a time lapse is also part of the method. The notification purchase price is reduced by a selected amount at successive intervals measured by lapse of the timer in another step of the method. Then, a vendor notification purchase request message is received from at least one of the plurality of selected vendors. The notification purchase request message is generated at a specific instant in time and at a specific notification purchase price. The vendor sending the notification purchase request message is known as the purchasing vendor. In another step, the method determines based upon vendor profile information whether the purchasing vendor is authorized to purchase the vendor notification. If the purchasing vendor is authorized to purchase the vendor notification, then the method performs a step of transmitting the notification to the purchasing vendor. The method can also include the step of debiting an account associated with the purchasing vendor for the specific notification purchase price prevailing when the purchasing vendor transmitted the vendor notification purchase request. The combination of these steps can provide a method for setting a price for purchaser information.
Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over conventional techniques. The present invention can provide a way to notify vendors of a prospective purchaser""s product needs and preferences. The presently preferable embodiment can provide nationwide coverage. Many embodiments can set an economically efficient price. Seamless billing for purchaser information is also made possible by virtue of the present invention. Embodiments can exhibit high reliability. Because vendors receive information about customer preferences in real time, the probability of a purchase and sale transaction being consummated can be greater than with conventional browsing techniques. These and other benefits are described throughout the present specification. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.